Werlein medals twice at World Games

GAYLORD — Holly Werlein recently returned home from Australia with a couple of medals and a suitcase full of memories.

Werlein, 24-year-old Gaylord native and organ transplant survivor, represented the United States at the World Transplant Games in late August.

With her sisters, Brooke and Rachel, following her every step along the way, Werlein brought home a pair of swimming bronze medals.

“It was an absolutely amazing experience,” she said. “I never would have dreamed that having a transplant would have given me the opportunity to travel and participate in something like this.”

Werlein competed in both swimming and beach volleyball at the Games. In swimming, she won bronze in the 50-meter butterfly and was part of the bronze medal-winning 200-meter freestyle relay. She also helped U.S.A. take fourth in beach volleyball, her favorite event.

“It kind of felt like the Olympics,” Werlein said. “A lot of people were really competitive and were there to win. But everyone was upbeat and smiling. It was a very optimistic and positive experience.”

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A competition such as this would have been hard for her to imagine just over three years ago, when she started feeling ill, and was suddenly diagnosed with acute liver failure. Fading fast, she received a liver transplant. After a long and hard rehab, she was able to participate in last year’s United States Transplant Games, setting up her trip to Australia.

She’s a walking, talking, smiling reminder of the power of organ donation.

“I’m just thankful for the doctors and donor who saved my life,” she said. “Getting a chance to do something like this is still surreal to me.”

Making the trip even more special was the ability to spend it with her sisters. The three Werlein girls are a close-knit group and have pulled for Holly every step of the way.

“I felt proud of her accomplishments (when she won the medal) said Rachel Werlein, 21. “We were cheering pretty hard for her and taking a ton of pictures so she could remember the experience.”

While their schedules were pretty tight, the Werleins were able to take in some of the famous sights of Australia, including seeing kangaroos and koalas.

Holly next has her eyes set on the United States Games, which will take place next year in Madison, Wisc., which just so happens to be where Brooke lives. She hopes to bring the Organ Transplant Support Group of Northern Michigan group to that event. It is that group which Holly credits with having helped her so much through the past three years.

“I am thankful for all the people who donated money to me and the support the community has given me,” she said. “It’s amazing to be part of a community that is so supportive.

She hopes she can again compete in the World Games, which are next scheduled for 2011 in Sweden. Until, then, Werlein lives in Traverse City serving as a personal chef and as a web administrator for transplantcafe.com, a social networking site for people who have underwent transplants.